High power single mode lasers are typically limited to less than 2 watts of continuous-wave (CW) output power. For example, the previous state-of-the-art has been either ridge waveguide or buried hetero-structure (BH) Fabry-Perot lasers which produce about 1 watt of CW output power. Power scaling such devices has been accomplished using a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration. MOPA devices can provide output beams with superior beam quality and several watts of power, though the beam is highly astigmatic. Consequently, using such devices in various applications, such as coupling the light into an optical fiber, requires complicated and impractical optical arrangements. Angled distributed feedback lasers (“α-DFB”) have also shown promise in the past as a way to extend single mode operation in semiconductor lasers and amplifiers into a high power regime. Unfortunately, output powers of only about 1 watt or less have been achieved before excessive loss, instability, or beam degradation occurs. Despite concerted research efforts and various advances in semiconductor fabrication and diode laser technology, scaling α-DFB lasers to higher powers has not met with success. Thus, α-DFB technology has largely stagnated and the once promising concept has been left without significant industrial application.